Window shopping for marketing tips

JobMob has kindly put together a list of blogs from the members of Digital Eve Israel (DEVA). The list contains a number of great sites packed with useful marketing and communications tips from English-speaking professionals working in the communications/technology fields in Israel. It is an excellent free resource, but the best part about it is that because it is a list of blogs rather than regular business websites it is more causal, chatty ….and even entertaining.

What’s all this twitter about ?

Last week I attended a Twitter gathering in the Old City (of Jerusalem). I did so not because I am such a die-hard Twitter fan; in fact, up to that point I still wasn’t so sure about the point of Twitter, but because it was literally two minutes walks away and I couldn’t face the sense of guilt at not having been bothered to attend what could potentially be a worthwhile networking event so close to home. So, I went, it was worthwhile, I met some interesting people and,  perhaps best of all, finding the venue (a groovy little bar in the Armenian Quarter) was an extra special treat.

I am not sure just how much twittering is directly relevant to Jewish education, but I think for people who have a specialist interest or who wish to promote a particular idea, product or method (and who have the time to dedicate to promoting it) then Twitter could be a great way to get information out to a captive audience. But like most things, it requires a little ground work, particular to ensure that you build up a suitable audience to justify the time you spend on it.

If you are interested in knowing more, I highly recommend taking a look at this great blog entry on how to Twitter effectively: 50 Ideas on Using Twitter for Business which I found really useful.

What I have also learned recently is that Twitter is mostly heavily used by people in their 40s and 50s (unlike Facebook, it is not so much for teenagers) and that much of its use is business or special interest oriented. So, if you have something to promote, this could be worth keeping in mind.

Of course, don’t forget to look out for me on Twitter @marjoriesolomon

The pros and cons of web building

I have just spent two and a half months immersed in the development of a new website for In One Hour. I made the decision that we needed a new website almost half a year ago because I recognised that while wordpress.com is great and very user-friendly (especially for non-techies) it does not really allow you to develop an online commercial presence.

We had already been dancing on the border of wordpress.com rules about commerciality when we began selling David’s books, but I wanted to take it further. And thankfully, after much time, effort, head and heart aches – and a massive learning curve – I have created a new site using wordpress.org which does not restrict commercial activity. The new site now boasts a range of fabulous new features, in particular, it has a Members’ Library, where people can pay to subscribe to the service and it has already started generating income.

The question is just whether the time and effort was ultimately cost effective. When everything is considered, I am not sure, but I am really glad I did it. The experience has given me a real insight into web development and in the process I have picked up some great business model ideas and insights on alternative ways of doing things. I am also super proud of myself for succeeding in this monumental adventure.

But for others who have neither the will, the propensity nor the time to dedicate themselves to such an effort, I think it might actually be worthwhile to either stick to the wordpress.com site or to pay someone else to make something new for you.

A final note: for people who try to create a distinction between website building platforms and blog templates like wordpress I say ‘humbug’. So far, I have not seen where and why these blog building tools should be limited to creating blogs alone – because they can do so much more. It seems to me that to assign them to a lower rung on the site building ladder smacks of web world snobbery.

Protecting the Integrity of your Mailing List

It is nice to share…and nice to be able to help colleagues. Sometimes, however, it is not always a great idea. I am thinking about the issue of sharing mailing lists. In general, people are protective of their mailing lists and are often unwilling to allow other people to use their lists. I tend to support this position. While it is great to be able to share and co-operate as much as possible, mailing lists are somewhat different because people sign up to a mailing list for a specific purpose. And in doing so, there is an implicit trust that their contact information will not be shared with others without their permission and that they will not be inundated with information for which they have not asked. It is my belief that in this case, your responsibility to protect the privacy and interests of your constituents outweighs your desire to help your colleagues.

Networking is a Social Phenomenon

Last Wednesday night (August 20th) I attended the First International Jewish Bloggers Convention hosted by aliyah support agency, Nefesh B’Nefesh. The convention was attended by around 200 bloggers in person and around another 1300 online, who were able to watch (and comment on) the conference via a live weblink.

In structure and content, the conference was of some value but the most important part for me was undoubtedly the networking opportunities it afforded. In the space of a few hours I met and swapped cards with a range of very useful contacts and even went for a quick drink after with some great people – from whom I learnt a number of very useful tips.

Why am I telling you this? Simply to underline the importance of getting out there and taking part, getting involved and talking to people. This is especially important at professional events where the networking possibilities are much greater. So please, I urge you to not only attend more of these events, but also when you are there, to make sure that you really get involved and meet and exchange information with people as much as you can. And not just that: as educators and performers you should have fairly well developed social skills, so also see if you can enjoy yourself in the process!

If you would like to see more of the Jewish Bloggers Convention please click here where you will also be able to get occasional unexpected glimpses of me

Introductions and Commissions

I am a firm believer in mutual promotion – in other words, of promoting friends and colleagues wherever appropriate and, hopefully, being promoted by these same friends and colleagues in return. David and I often find that people ask us for advice and referrals about who may be a suitable speaker or performer in a particular environment and we are happy to advise. And we like to think it works the other way around.

But sometimes this situation is complicated when those doing the referral expect a commission for a successful booking. Now, this is perfectly acceptable as long as the person expecting the commission makes it clear from the start that they are acting for you in this way and that they expect some sort of gratis (generally a percentage of the booking fee). If all this is clearly stated from the start, then that is great – everything is clear and agreed.

This naturally, also applies when the referral comes from an agent or bureau. If you have agreed that a person is acting for you in a professional capacity – as an agent or the like – then that agreement naturally includes an understanding of the need for some form of payment.

Things become more complicated if there is no formal agreement in advance and then your friend or colleague turns around later and asks for a payment in return for the introduction. Personally, I think this is wrong and disingenuous, but that doesn’t mean I would advise against agreeing to the payment. Instead, I believe you should state your terms for agreement to the payment – don’t let them set it – and make sure the ground rules for all possible future introductions are laid. It is important to utilise the fact that they have not be totally upfront in their dealings and to ensure that you reach the best position with regards to any future collaborations.

Here is a list of do’s and don’ts:

• Don’t lose your temper and tell them how annoyed you are with them (even if you are) and how they have not acted in good faith (even if they haven’t).
• Don’t refuse the booking because of this person’s involvement – unless, of course, it has become too sullied by confusion or ill-will.
• Do then agree to a deal that you are happy with (eg. that they receive a 10% commission and no more as you had no formal agreement about the arrangement).
• Do then set up an agreement for all future collaborative work so that you both know where you stand with each other – you may also agree at the point to better conditions for them than with the first unsolicited situation.
• Don’t forget too quickly that they might not always act they way you would prefer.

But when it comes to most friends and colleagues it is still nicer to simply do each other a good turn and not to ask for anything more that they might do the same for you when the time is right.

Sometimes ‘for sale’ is not always clear

Last week I learned the hard way that sometimes people don’t always see signs indicating that something is for sale and not for free. It was a fairly inexpensive lesson – two of David’s books disappeared at the end of his talk – which will hopefully save me from more expensive lessons in future. And, of course, I prefer to believe that two people simply didn’t see the sign rather than ignored it.

I am not entirely sure how to deal with this problem even now. As you can imagine, I have received all sorts of advice about what to do, but when I finally arrive at the solution, I hope it will somehow strike a balance between maintaining an ease of access and informality and protecting one’s income – a point which may not be easy to reach.

I think one of the biggest problems we face is that we have so many promotional things that people are encouraged to take away with them – flyers, events dates, posters etc – that their brains don’t always stop to question whether one or two of the items are not just to be taken away. And I think it is really important to have all this information available to people. The fact that they take it away is an indication that it is meeting some need or interest. But I clearly need to have a clearer differentiation between what is available for free and what needs to be bought before one can take it away.

The other problem is that the end of a lecture becomes educational rush-hour, when everyone wants to talk to you, to find out more, to introduce themselves, to pose questions and to buy things. Finding a way to ensure that you can keep up with this moment of concentrated public focus and demand is a challenge. It keeps me on my toes!

So, far I haven’t truly worked out the answer to this issue but I wanted to share my ponderings. I will let you know when I have.